Inaccurate and bigoted article by Kelli Kennedy

by Arlene Delgado, Esq.

I am writing to demand a retraction and correction of an AP article that was widely circulated this morning. The article is woefully inaccurate and bigoted against Cuban-Americans. I am referring to "7 Arrested in Sears Tower Plot" by Kelli Kennedy.

The article states: "Several terrorism investigations have had south Florida links. Several of the Sept. 11 hijackers lived and trained in the area, including ringleader Mohamed Atta, and several plots by Cuban-Americans against Fidel Castro's government have been based in Miami." First, the existence of such plots against Castro has yet to be established and any allegations of such plots are the product of fanatical speculation and baseless accusations by those with an ax to grind with Cuban-Americans. Second, since when would plots to overthrow Castro's Communist regime been deemed as "terrorism", as Ms. Kennedy describes them? Moreover, how dare Ms. Kennedy equate the September 11th hijackers, who murdered 3,000 innocent civilians, with the alleged plotting by a few old men to overthrow a murderous dictator, in no way harming the civilian Cuban population???

And the article gets worse -- IMMEDIATELY following her mention of Cuban-Americans' terrorism, follows a mention of Jose Padilla and his support of Islamic extremists. Due to Mr. Padilla's clearly Spanish name, the obvious inference for the reader is that Mr. Padilla is Cuban-American -- when, in fact, he is not but rather second-generation Puerto-Rican.

Lastly, Ms. Kennedy is very careful, and politically correct, in not describing the would-be terrorists as Arabs or Muslims. In fact, the article only describes them as "young men." (This is very similar to the AP's refusal to identify the rioters during the recent Parisian suburb riots as Islamic or North African, stubbornly insisting on merely describing them as "youths.") Yet Cuban-Americans are not afforded the same courtesy. It's not inaccurate enough that Ms. Kennedy wishes to claim there are "terrorism" plots against Fidel Castro's government in Miami (an assertion which almost seems oxymoron-like and, in any event, is factually inaccurate). She has to make it clear to the reader that such plots are by CUBAN-AMERICANS. Interesting double standard. Why didn't Ms. Kennedy simply state that there have been plots in South Florida/Miami against Castro's government, without the need to mention the national identity or ethnicity of the alleged plotters, the same way she neglects to provide any physical description or ethnic identity of the arrested Sears Tower plotters?

The AP's News Values and Principles state that you are committed to "fair and objective news reporting." Ms. Kennedy's article fails on both those grounds, as well as any commitment to accuracy. It is clear that, by circulating such hateful articles, brimming with prejudice against Cuban-Americans, your claim to hold fast to such principles is nothing but sheer hypocrisy. Then you wonder why the American public has completely lost faith in the mainstream media.

Sincerely,

Arlene Delgado, Esq.
New York, NY

Cortesia de Agustin Blazquez

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